for FRAY
by PJ Casanova
Summary: Buffy and Angel must join forces for a climatic battle against the most powerful demons the world has ever seen. A battle that will set the future in motion. First chapter is previewsummary! REVIEW !Also, if something seems wrong, tell me!
1. Preview & Info

"**For FRAY…"**

_"...people are saying, that, umm... there are, creatures..."_

_"Creatures? Andrew, what kind of creatures?"_

_"...Big ones."_

_- Andrew & Willow, 2004_

Angel has stopped the end of the world several times. He's even, on occasion, tried to end it himself. But now, he's facing the largest battle he's even known. He's facing evil in its purest: The Old Ones. The first demons to walk, and ravage, this earth. Returned to the world after centuries in exile, they seek to reclaim what was once theirs.

Unable to defeat the demons, Angel and co. must join forces with Buffy. With the help of the original Scooby Gang, and new Slayers worldwide, a battle must be waged. The _final_ apocalyptic battle, one where there are no rules but survival. Friendships will be betrayed and lives lost. And in the end only one thing is certain…

The future will never be the same...

"…_There was a battle. A Slayer, possibly with some mystical allies, faced an apocalyptic army of demons. And when it was done… they were gone. All demons, all magicks, banished from this earthly dimension."_

"_And the Slayer? Did she…"_

"_I do not know if she lived."_

_- Urkonn & Melaka Fray, the Future

* * *

_

Ok. So. That's the preview I kind of like. Anyway, point is, I just wanted to write it.

But here's some helpful stuff:

I'll update this as I write, meaning that there could be gaps of nothingness and periods where I update everyday. Sorry, but its just how I work.

Um, I don't own the characters, so yea.

The idea is both original and not. I mean, other people have thought it, so that's not original, but I'm writing how I see fit, so yea, that past is.

If theres anything else you need to or want to know, send me a message.

- PJ Casanova


	2. Chapter One

Angel held his sword up, the butt of it at his own eye level. At his side, Illyria stood, her bloody hands curled into fists. Spike stood just feet away, half of a cigarette burning away between his lips. Beside him, Gunn barely stood, bleeding badly, but still managing to grip his axe, ready for the fight.

Their leader, fearless, tried and true, could sense their unease. Before them, shadows fell into the narrow alley. Up above, the heads of beasts, true–_pure_ demons, peered over the roofs of six story buildings. Angel grinned, his eyes narrowing, but his features still human, at least for now.

"Lets go to work."

The group, as one, stepped forward. And in that one movement, each of them almost fell forward, as some unseen force pushed them from all around. The sound of the demons in the alley was suddenly gone, replaced by a howling. It came upon them suddenly, and after regaining their footing the group looked to the sky for answers.

In the black, but clear night sky, a half dozen shapes, triangular they appeared, rushed over the alley. There came another large howl, no, it was higher pitched, a whistling.

A demon, whose massive horns could be seen above the rooftops, suddenly lit orange. Flames licked at its horns.

"That's new," Spike observed, dropping the cigarette he'd recently been holding.

Another whistle, this time it was louder—closer. The end of the alley exploded, dissolving the shadows that lined the buildings walls. When the flames lowered, only half of the shadows reappeared.

Another wave came on the group, invisible energy shoving them forward. Howls were all around them, and more of those triangular shapes rushed above the alley. Seconds later it was all normal again. Seconds after that, another explosion went off.

"They're stealth fighters," came a woman's voice. The group, weapons now lowered, turned to the shadows of a nearby doorway. From the darkness, a woman's figure stepped out, walking up to Angel, who stood at the center of the group.

She had long, black hair, and sharp features. Her eyes were dark grey, inhuman in nature, but still amazing. She wore a tight, black, cocktail dress, that stopped inches above her knees. Her spiked stilettos made her nearly Angel's height.

"Who," Angel couldn't finish his sentence, still confused by everything that happened around him.

"Jaye," she held out her right hand; Angel didn't take it. After a moment or two, she brought It back, clutching it with her left hand. "Right then. Off we go?"

"Go where?"

"To the offices, of course."

Angel looked at her, perplexed. He was pretty sure he was starting to understand what was going on.

"You're from Wolfram and Hart," Angel said, more than he did ask.

"Yes. I'm your new liaison."

"Damn, you people never know when to give up."

"You can kill as many of us as you'd like. We're replaceable."

Behind them, a large explosion went off at the alleys entrance. The side of one of the buildings crumbled, and a demon roared. Screams, these human, came in all around them.

"It's out. We need to go," Spike stepped up next to Angel. "Nice chat and all, but me and forehead here, have some prior arrangements."

Jaye smiled at him. "We should go."

"Go where? I'm not going." Angel crossed his arms, his sword held high next to his face. "I've got a war to win."

"Your war can wait. Our team has it under control."

Another explosion sounded, and above them, a plane seemed to lose control. It veered left, and spun out of sight, undoubtedly crashing a few blocks over.

"Yea, they're doing a real bang-up job."

"So be it."

Jaye raised her arms up in front of her. Now she was holding a small stick, short, with decorated string tied at each end. Considering her attire, it was something that she could've only been hiding in one of several obscene places.

She snapped the stick in two.

* * *

A second later, they were all standing in the debris ridden lobby of Wolfram and Hart's LA branch.

"What is this," Angel roared, rushing forward. The tip of his sword met with Jaye's pale neck.

"Kill me, and this'll only take longer."

"Is that Hamilton," Gunn asked aloud, noticing the formers liaisons body among the splintered wood and crumbled plaster.

Angel looked from the dead liaison to the living one before him. "Talk."

"Very well. To the conference room."

Jaye led them across the lobby, and through Angel's office into the conference room. Each of them took a seat, with Jaye and Angel occupying the head at either end.

"Here's the deal," Jaye began. "We want to help you."

"Really? Cause Im getting a _'Stop Angel' _vibe from this whole situation."

"If that was the truth, then why would we have ever given you this place?"

"Keep tabs."

"You know that's not true."

"Actually, I think it is. First you send Hamilton to kill me, then you bring me here. I'm seeing all of this as a way of keeping me from fighting a very big and very important battle." Angel stood up, his chair skidding out from behind him. "Well guess what. Distraction over."

An explosion rang out close by, so close that the building shook. Another one, and then a buildind just out the window behind Jaye, went up in flames.

"We're fighting for you. We're losing men trying to save your lousy planet. What part of that is a scam?"

"The part where the senior partners unleashed this hell on us."

Another explosion rocked the building. The fluorescents above them flickered then went out. A knock came from the conference room door, and a second later a short man in a business suit peered in.

"We're almost ready Miss Jaye," the little man said. Jaye smiled at him and he hurried out of the room, as the hallway lights flickered dead as well.

"There are people still here. Why?"

"This is there place of work, Angel. We pay them a great deal, and well, they're just dedicated employees."

"The building is collapsing. They shouldn't be here—_we_ shouldn't be here."

"We'll be leaving soon enough. Now if you'll just take your seat, I can get on with my little demonstration and then you can go fight your war."

Angels eyes narrowed, and if he had a body temperature it would no doubt be rising. Frustrated, he sat down, staring hard at Jaye. "Go."

"Very good."

Jaye picked up a remote from the table, pressing a button. Behind her, a screen lowered out of the ceiling, blocking out the view from the window.

"Being a vampire yourself, Angel, I'm sure you know how rare it is to see a demon teaming up with your kind. Demons see you as lesser, mixed blood.'

"So?"

"Well, here's some history that I'm sure you know: When the pure demons, you know, those big scaries back in the alley. When they were banished from this world, the last of them bit humans, infected them, creating our present day demons. Now, we get our share of _pureblooded _demons, but they're merely the less tainted. No demon on this planet is truly pure. No, pure is what you saw back there. Raging psychotics, soaring seven stories high. That's pure."

"What's your point?"

"When you were evil, when you were Angelus, you hated humans. No that the _real_ demons are back in town, do you really think they'll want a bunch of half-breeds running amuck?"

"Well maybe you should take this up with your bosses."

"They're not my boss. Well, technically, they are. But lets just say I have my own agenda."

"And that is?"

"To save the world, of course."

"Oh, right. Save the world. I guess the senior partners just opened the wrong can of doom."

"This has nothing to do with them. The senior partners, they're big and bad and ultimate evil. They revel in the fact that the true demons have been raised. Hell, they're drinking buddies! But what about us? Wolfram and Hart runs on its employees. Millions of us, keeping this big ship afloat worldwide. And what? In one fell swoop the senior partners rid of us all.

Jaye looked off to the side, seemingly upset. After a moment or two, she turned back to the table.

"We may be evil, but we're still mostly human. We have families. We _need_ our jobs, and more importantly, our lives.

"We need your help Angel. All of your help."

"So that's what this is? The lawyers of Wolfram and Hart standing up to their evil employer?"

"More or less, yes."

"And I'm supposed to help? Let the evil lawyers take back their planet."

"No matter what, Angel, you know the truth. There will always be evil on this planet. It's up to you how it thrives. You can help us continue, conducting business in a civilized manner—"

Spike scoffed, the first person to interrupt the conversation. "Civilized? Um, I don't know if you noticed, but there's a bloody apocalypse going on out there! Courtesy of your bosses."

"And… without the senior partners."

"Oh. Right, then."

"Of course, you've other options too. You could just sit idly by and watch the world fall away. Let these demons rip it to pieces and destroy everything you've ever known."

Angel shook his head. "Well, had you left me in that alley, I'd be dead by now, so it wouldn't really by my problem."

"No. But it'd be theirs. Connors. Faith. Give it a week, and your precious Slayer would be fighting for her life halfway 'round the world."

"Buffy," Angel and Spike both whispered at the same time.

"Yes, Buffy. Is this what you really want for her?"

"We're in," Spike said hastily. He stood up, heading for the door. "Well? Come on you sodding wankers! We've got a war to win!"

"It's not that simple," Gunn spoke up. "This is big. Taking on the senior partners, taking on ultimate evil."

"You've done it before."

"Not like this, we haven't," Angel barked at Spike. "We're helping evil fight itself. We could get caught in the crossfire. And then—" Angel looked at Jaye. "How do we know you wont turn on us?"

Jaye smiled at him. "You have my word."

Everyone in the room scoffed, before Illyria stood up.

She spoke, "In my time, the Wolf, Ram, and Hart were nothing. Their founders were weak cowards, a hindrance at best. I see no difference now. None but their shiny instruments and pretty towers. We shall fight them. Remove the heart of the best where is stands."

Jaye raised her hand, leanding forward. "About that. After the whole _'removal of heart'_ thing. You can just pretty much leave the beast alone, right?"

"So this is it," Angel said. He stood up, shook his head. "We're fighting the final battle guys. And you're our allies."

Jaye smiled, and shrugged. Suddenly the room began to ring. Something happy, and fast.

"Is that the _Happy Days_ theme?"

Jaye smiled and raised her hand from her lap. Now she was holding a cell phone, once again, with nowhere it could've been hiding. She pressed a button on the side, and a mouthpiece slid out from the bottom. She put it to her ear.

"Yes," Jaye said into the phone. On the other end, a muffled voice spoke. "I see. Very good. Oh, perfect. I'll let them know." She hung up the phone.

"Ok Angel and crew, got some good news for you. The Miami and Chicago branches are sending teams, they'll be here within minutes. New York is standing by as well, and the Las Vegas team has secured the California borders."

"Sounds tight." Gunn shook his head. "What else is there?"

"The labs are ready."

"Labs? Labs for what?" Angel stepped up to Jaye, his arms crossed.

"We're taking a little field trip."

"Where?"

Jaye opened her mouth to speak, but before she could let the words out there came a massive explosion from the lobby.

"I think we've got company," Spike yelled, as he thrust open the conference room door. Leading the gang into the lobby, he stopped as the monster came into sight. Angel and Jaye brought up the rear of the group.

"That looks fun," Gunn said to no one in particular.

Before them, the elevator doors were both ripped open. From each, a large green tentacle escaped, and once in the room, split into several more. They moved fast, already some had worked up the walls, cracking them as they did. The room grey dimmer, as others wrapped around light fixtures, and slid across the ceiling. They didn't appear to be moving, either, just growing out from their ends, eating every surface of the room, and as it was now apparent, growing closer to Angel and co.

"Crap! Sword!" Angel remembered his weapon, which he had left on the conference room table. He turned to run for it, and found Jaye holding out a shiny new axe, which she hadn't had on her before. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Without any further banter, Angel set off. With a burst of speed and vampire strength, he leapt through the air, and swung his axe at a tentacle that was creeping down on an unsuspecting Gunn. As demon blood spewed from the wound Illyria grabbed Gunn's arm, swinging him aside. The lifeless tentacle fell from the ceiling, plopping down where he was.

A few feet away, Spike dodged a tentacle heading for his face. Grabbing a angled piece of wood from the reception desk, he swung it quick and hard, jabbing it into the creatures flesh. With some unearthly howl, it retracted, flying backwards and up, into the ceiling.

The room shook hard, and a row of fluorescent lighting ripped from the ceiling. Dust fell all around the room.

Illyria, having left Gunn where she had saved him, set off across the room. From the floor, two tentacles slithered up, blocking her path. Reacting quick, she punched out, hitting both and causing them to sway wildly. But seconds later they were back, flying around her once, twice, before closing in on her, like a boa constrictor.

"Illyria!" Gun set off in her direction, axe held up, ready to save her. He was halfway across the room when a tentacle slithered out, grabbing his ankle. It did so with so much force, that he fell forward, and would've impaled himself on his own weapon, had the beast not flung him through the air, causing the axe to fall from his hand.

Spike shielded his eyes from the falling debris. When he moved his hand away, he caught sight of a tentacle lashing out, and grabbing Gunn. A second later, and Gunn was crashing through the railing of the second floor. His axe lay on the ground, unattended.

"That's my cue, then," Spike said, raising his eyebrows briefly. Then ran, full speed at the axe, dodging tentacles from all angles. Leaning low, he grabbed the axe and allowed himself to fall into a roll. When he came back up, he brought the axe high over his head, bisecting a tentacle that was making its way up one of the lobby's columns.

From where she was, Illyria could see Gunn's hopefully unconscious, as opposed to dead, body. Angered, she gritted her teeth and she mustered every bit of strength she could. Around her, the monsters tentacles began to bulge and push away from her body. A second later her arms broke through the creature, spraying demon blood all around.

Angel ducked under another one of the swinging tentacles. As it passed over him, he sent his axe straight up, slicing through the creature. The arm snapped away, nearly taking the axe with it. It danced frantically through the air, before crashing through the small portion of wall left, and coming to rest in Angel's office.

Angel roared, his features shifted. His brow bulged, and his cheekbones sharpened. His vampire visage came upon him.

Illyria bounded up the stairs, two at a time. As she ran, a tentacle was making its way across the landing, heading for Gunn. With a burst of speed and strength she leapt from her place midway up the stairs, and through the air, landing beside Gunn. In a swift motion she punched a hole in the side of the tentacle, and held onto its insides. When she pulled her hand free, she ripped some sort of spine like structure from within the creature.

Suddenly the room begin to scream. It was coming from all around them. The tentacles responded to it, shaking violently and bleeding from their ends.

"We must go." Illyria told Gunn, who was beginning to come around. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him to his feet. Putting one of his arms over her shoulders, she grabbed his waist and then leapt from the second floor. She landed hard, and Gunn flinched.

"Angel, we really should get going." Jaye stepped up to him, as his features adjusted back to their human form.

"Looks like the fun's over," Spike appeared beside them. Behind him Illyria was almost dragging Gunn over. "Not looking too good there, lawyer man."

"I'll live," Gunn said, before coughing heavily. He was caked in blood, dry and fresh.

"Right then." Jaye interrupted any further conversing. "Follow me."

Jaye set off down the hall, the group following behind her. The walls around them were cracking, lights were exploding in their sockets. Dust covered the floor, and more fell from the ceiling. Jaye stopped in front of a door, and once again pulled a key from nowhere. She put it in the lock, turned, and then pushed the door forward. When everyone walked through, they found themselves standing in one of the buildings many labs.

"How'd you do that," Angel said, looking around. He'd never gone through that door before, but he knew it shouldn't lead here.

"It's a backdoor to the offices. Little trick of the liaison. I mean, how else would we get around this place so quick?"

"Well you could walk, like the rest of us."

Jaye only smiled, before walking to the center of a circular platform.

"Well guys. What are you waiting for? Get on."

The four of them exchanged looks, before Spike stepped onto the circular platform. The entire surface was covered in some kind of ancient writing. Candles burned around the room, set on top of numerous instruments and on shelves.

Angel, Illyria, and Gunn joined them on the platform. Jaye revealed a controller, which she hadn't had seconds ago. She pressed a button and lights came to life all around the platforms edges.

"Where are we going exactly," Angel asked her.

She smiled. "Italy."

"What! No!"

Angel shot forward, as a wall of rippling energy encased them. He slammed into it, unable to pass through. Vamping out, he leaned back and punched it with all his might. The walls shattered, and Angel stepped down from the platform. He headed straight for the door.

"He's in for a surprise," Jaye said, crossing her arms.

Angel opened the labs door, and stepped through them. Only now, the hallway he was expecting to see, wasn't there. There was a hallway, but it was different, there were new paintings and vases lining the walls. And this one wasn't destroyed, crumbling. No, it was in top shape.

"Angel, welcome to Wolfram and Harts—"

"Rome branch, right?"

"Ah, right. I forget that you've been… When was it?"

"Six days ago."

"Oh. Who'd have guessed you'd be back so soon?"

Angel didn't respond. Instead he headed down the hallway towards the CEO's office.

"Is it just me, or is this place… ours," Gunn asked, surveying the hallway, and lobby as they stepped into it.

"It is. At least structurally. All of Wolfram and Hart's branches are built carbon copies," Jaye told him.

"Ah. Right."

Just as they reached the doors of the office, they swung open. Standing in the doorway was a busty woman, with her dark brown hair pulled back into curls. She was wearing a suit made of tight red leather.

"Angel! _Benvenuto! Benvenuto!_"

The woman, whom Angel knew as Ilona Costa Bianchi, CEO of the Rome Branch, kissed both of his cheeks. Then she backed away, her smile still beaming.

"Hi Ilona."

"I see you brought along your team. I can understand why, LA is having some trouble I hear."

Ilona smiled then walked over to the rest of the group.

"Hello! _Benvenuto!_"

Ilona kissed Spike on both cheeks, then did the same to Gunn. She stepped back, her eyes surveying Illyria. After a moment or two, she addressed them all.

"As you can tell, our offices are the same. So go, roam around. You all look as though you need some _Rinfrescare_. _Tatto libermente._"

The group stood idle for a moment. Then Gunn took a step back, regaining his balance, as he swayed. Spike grab his arm, looking at him.

"Maybe we should go get you some of that _refreshing_," Spike told him. Then he helped Gunn in the direction of the medical facilities.

Illryia stood there for a second, before her head cocked to one side. Then she headed off in that direction. Ilona let her attention fall back to Angel, and for the first time she noticed Jaye. Her smile faded and her eyes narrowed for a second. A second later, she was looking at Angel again, her smile back.

"Come into my office, we can chat there."

Ilona brushed back her hair, and then led the way into her office. Angel and Jaye followed her into the room, taking seats at the front her desk. Ilona herself made her way to the swiveling leather chair on the opposite side of the desk. Before speaking, she took a gulp from a wine glass on the table.

"Now Angel, we must start planning our defense. Our numbers show—"

Ilona paused to raise a remote from her desk. She pointed it, at nowhere in particular, and pressed a button. Behind her, a screen came down, displaying a map of United States. It was all black and white, except for a large red section that took up about a third of California.

"_Veda?_ The demons have already begun to destroy California. It is only a matter of time—" Ilona pressed a button. The words _Un Giorno_ – Which Angel knew as being _One Day_ appeared at the bottom of the screen. The redness reached almost halfway across the United States. "—Until your country is demolished."

The image blinked, another day later, the redness had taken at least two-thirds of the country, and was spreading upwards. A third blink, three days passed, Canada had been taken even before the USA was done for. Mexico was a quarter red. A forth blink and everything but a small strip of the eastern USA was red. Suddenly the image of the USA, and all of North America, faded out and a map of the entire world blinked onto the screen.

"The North and South Americas will be gone in… five days. And that's with the offices working against it. We figure in another… two—tops—the demons will have made their way here."

Ilona raised her arms, gesturing at the room. Angel knew she meant more. She meant the country. The continent. Whatever was left of the world.

"What's our plan," Angel said dully. His body felt numb, like everything had been ripped from him. He was just a shell with a brain that weighed so heavily it made his neck hurt.

"Well, Angel. That is up to you, really. I'm just here to provide you with services. Equipment. Although, I think a defensive maneuver would be the best thing, no?"

Angel looked at Ilona, her brow pinched up in the middle, a look of hope. But he could smell the nervousness coming off of her. He could sense how scared she was, of everything. Of dying.

Angel noticed that Ilona was looking at him. He realized he'd now gone almost a minute without responding.

"What? Um, yea. That sounds about right."

"Angel," Jaye interrupted, touching his arm to get his attention. "Do you really think that's wise? Giving the demons time to gather forces?"

Angel rubbed his temple, glancing at the floor momentarily. "I guess not."

"But Angel," Ilona's accent laden voice came. "If we rush into the battle blindly, the demons will surely take us out."

"She does have a point." Angel gave a nod to Jaye.

"This battle is going to happen, no matter what. Now you can wait until it comes to you, but you're only giving your opponent extra footing. All the better to tear you down with."

"We need help."

"Exactly why we should wait!" Ilona stood up, her smile bright, her cheeks red. "Time to gather troops and devise a tactic—"

"No. We need help. Real, good old fashioned help."

"What are you suggesting?"

Jaye grinned, then stood up beside Angel, her arms crossed. "Buffy."

* * *


	3. Chapter Two

"These are some serious injuries, Mr. Gunn," came the voice of a short, balding man. He wore a white lab coat, khakis and a powder blue button up beneath. His name tag identified him as Doctor O'Connell.

"Tell me something I don't know," Gunn said between winces.

"Well, for starters, you're lucky you even survived the teleportation." Dr. O'Connell picked up a small talisman and waved it across the hole in Gunns side. "Nasty flesh wound like this, bleeding badly—I've seen people had chunks of them left behind."

"Huh. Fun stuff."

"You can only imagine." The doctor put down his talisman and whispered something under his breath.

Gunn felt a sudden burning sensation at his side and leapt from the table.

"Ah! Damn!"

Instinctively, he reached down to grasp the wound, but find nothing but a small bump in his flesh, where the blade of a knife had once left its mark.

"All done," Dr. O'Connell said with a smile.

"Thanks," Gunn said, still rubbing the spot where the wound once was.

"Well then, we should get going. See what the fellow do-gooders are up to," Spike said, as he lit up a cigarette. "Lets go."

Gunn followed Spike out of the medical lab and into one of the duplicated hallways. They followed the Italian signs with predetermination, and after a couple of minutes, they had reached the CEO's office. Just as they entered, Angel was picking up the phone on Ilona's desk. He motioned for them to sit.

"Look at him, being all boss man, even on foreign turf."

Spike pulled up a chair, and sat beside Jaye. On her other side, Gunn was taking his seat.

"Hello," Angel said suddenly, his voice cracking. "Buffy? Oh… Hi Kennedy. Is Giles there? No? Oh… Willow? Oh… alright. Can you tell her to give me a call when she gets in, its urgent. Alright. Thanks. Bye."

Angel put the receiver down, and let out an unnecessary sigh.

"No luck with the reinforcements then," Spike observed.

"They'll get back to us," Angel told them as he made his way back around the desk. Ilona regained her position, and slid the phone back into place.

"You really think they will," Gunn stated more than he did ask.

"Why wouldn't they."

"Well, last time I heard, Buffy and co. weren't too keen on us. Something about working for the big bad that got them."

"Well Gunn… you may be right… but this is different. It's Buffy, she won't care, at least not now. Not with things like this."

"If you say so."

"Good. Cause I do… say so."

* * *

Kennedy put down the receiver, and cocked her head to the left. She was curled up on the couch, but she could see Willow in the kitchen just down the hall. Their eyes met and Willow walked towards her, a bowl of fresh popcorn held between her arms.

"Who was that," Willow asked as she placed popcorn down on the coffee table. Then she snuggled up next to Kennedy.

"It was Angel," Kennedy replied, turning a remote over in her hands. Then she looked at Willow, her brown eyes showing some uncertainty.

Willow leaned forward and kissed her lips. The feeling was gone.

"It's ok. I mean, it doesn't exactly feel ideal ignoring him. But I think Giles is right. I mean, he's working for an evil law firm in LA—"

"He's in Rome."

Kennedy cut Willow off, when she realized she hadn't mentioned Angel's location. Willows brow wrinkled, and her lips pouted in an inquisitive expression.

"Rome."

"Yes. Rome."

Willow slid her legs off the couch, and sat straight up. She looked at, her face suddenly serious.

"What exactly did he want?"

"Um... Just to talk to Buffy. Or you or Giles. He said it was urgent."

Willow pushed her hair back, the red locks falling between her fingers. Kennedy reached out and touched her hand, pulling it out to hold. Willow forced a smile.

"You think something wrong?"

Kennedy titled her head and stared into Willows eyes. Willow shook her head in response. Then, behind them, the apartment door was practically knocked off. Andrew came stumbling into the room.

"Willow. Kennedy. Hi."

Andrews face was wet with sweat, his blond hair matted across his forehead. As he hastily shut the door behind him, he pulled at his tie, loosening it with his free hand. Then Willow and Kennedy watched as he made his way towards them, snatching the remote from the table and began to wildly press buttons. The DVD they had been watching started to skip scenes, and speed up.

"Andrew, what are you doing," Willow said, placing a hand on his arm. She took the remote and pressed the _' TV / Video '_ button. The DVD blinked off and a news channel came on. A reporter was in mid sentence:

"…only a half hour ago, when a giant explosion ripped through downtown Los Angeles. In the following shot from a local traffic cam, you can get a glimpse of the event."

The news room switched to a fuzzy view of a street at night. Suddenly lightning struck down, and parked cars on either side of the street slid all the way against the curb, and in some places onto the sidewalk. Suddenly the lightning hit again, and the street ripped open. Then a giant explosion took out the street, and traffic cam.

"Did you see that," Kennedy exclaimed. She took the remote and pressed a button. The image began to replay, just before the second lighting strike. The street ripped open once again, and then Kennedy paused the image. From the open ground, an impossibly large, clawed hand could be seen stretching out of the ground.

"How did you see that," Willow asked as she stood up, staring at the TV.

"Barely," Kennedy said. "Gotta love TiVo."

"That.. that's not all," Andrew said, shaking with fear. "They're not saying it on the news… but people are saying, that, umm.. there are, creatures—"

"Creatures? Andrew, what kind of creatures?"

"…Big ones."

Willow's gaze fell to the paused image on the TV. She stared at the monstrous claw that was stretching just above the ruined pavement.

Willow shook her head, and turned to Kennedy, who now sat with her arms wrapped around her own waist. Willow held out her hand, and her lover immediately took it, squeezing it for a moment. They gave each other reassuring smiles, before Willow let out a deep breath.

"Guess we picked the right time to get back from Brazil."

"Or the wrong time, depending on your view of the situation," Kennedy said with a small grin. Willow returned it.

"Ok, here's the deal. I'm going to Wolfram and Hart, see where I can help. Kennedy, you head to the Immortal's palazzo. Tell Buffy that Angel's here—and make sure you tell her it's an apocalypse, because I know she's not too keen on him at the moment… None of us are."

"What about me, Willow? What can I do? Should, I maybe perform ancient protection magics… I know some exceptional barrier spells that were used by the ancient Mexicans."

"No, Andrew, that's ok… I need you to just stay here and find out what you can… Also, call Giles, let him know what's up, if he doesn't already."

"Will do…Will."

Willow smiled, then nodded towards Kennedy. The young girl stood up and headed for the door, Willow followed. They were about to exit, when Andrew called out behind them.

"Oh, and say hi to Spike for me," Andrew screamed. Kennedy and Willow both stopped in their tracks, looking at Andrew in confusion.

"Oh." Andrew smacked his forehead. "I knew I forgot to mention something."

"Spike… He's alive," Kennedy said, barely believing the words as they came out of her mouth.

"Yea-huh."

"Wow…"

"Yea," Willow said, her voice small. Then she came back to her senses. "We, um, have to go."

"Right."

"Kennedy, don't—"

"Buffy won't know."

Willow shook her head, then exhaled deeply. Kennedy kissed her cheek, before heading off down the hallway. Willow looked at Andrew one last time, and grimaced. "I'll call."

* * *

"Sidekick!"

Together, a group of at least one hundred girls all shifted to one foot, twisted their torso, and kicked their free leg straight out.

"Again!"

The girls repeated the move.

"They're getting better," came the voice of a man. He stepped outside, onto the curved patio. In front of him, a small hill led to an open area of grass, where the girls, Slayers, were practicing.

"They're ok."

"They're new." He took a few steps forward, and reached out, putting his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a small squeeze, then gradually began to rub and massage them. "Give them time."

"I guess there's no rush."

"None. You saved the world, Buffy. What more do you want?"

Buffy closed her eyes, letting his hands work their way around her shoulders and down her arms. As they fell around her waist, she let him pull her body against his. Her head came to rest on his chest, his chin against her temple. In his arms, she felt completely safe.

Of course, that was always the case whenever she was with the Immortal.

"Buffy," the Immortal began. "the seers have picked up on something. A group of people teleporting into the country, not an hour ago."

"So?"

"I believe you know him. Angel?"

Buffy's muscles tensed. She pulled her arms around herself, and stepped out of the Immortals grasp.

_Angel_, she thought. His name weighed heavy in her mind. She hadn't spoken to him since he'd shown up that fateful day a little under a year ago. The day he gave her the amulet that Spike used to save the world.

_Spike_._ Oh god, Spike._

"Buffy…" the Immortal called out to her. And despite being a few feet away, it felt like miles separated them.

_Something's wrong._

"Did they say anything else?" Buffy was facing the Immortal again, her arms crossed.

"No… Just that he was here."

"Where? Exactly, where is he?"

"The offices of Wolfram and Hart."

_Angel, what have you gotten yourself into? I don't even… know you._

Buffy took a deep breath. A cool breeze came over the hills and patio, bringing with it the smell of fresh flowers from the palazzo's several gardens. The sun was warm on Buffy's face. She blinked, and suddenly the world got colder.

"I should go."

"Buffy, are you certain?"

"If he's…_up to something_. It's important I know what's going on."

"Buffy, he can't be trusted. He's in allegiance with one of the greatest evils this world has seen."

"Exactly why I should go and make nice."

"I don't agree."

Buffy frowned, pushing a few strands of loose hair behind her ear before she spoke. "Fortunately… this isn't up to you."

Buffy stepped around the Immortal and headed towards the doors of the palazzo. The white, linen curtains of the hallway were spilling out through the open doors. She pushed them out of her way, and stepped inside.

It wasn't until Buffy had disappeared down the hallway, that a small, grayish man in a light green robe was seen. The man did appear human, but something about him that screamed _otherworldly. _He approached the Immortal, and since there were no other doors leading to the patio, one was led to believe he had been there all along.

"Sir," came the small mans voice. "How shall we proceed?"

The Immortal put his hand in his pocket, and removed a timepiece. He flipped open the brass door, and looked inside. However, instead of the usual twelve numbers and a marker, there were a series of dots and marks, with a sole '100' at the top. There were two equally long markers, one stopped at the center of the clocks face, and the other hastily making its way towards a red slash.

"Prepare an enchantment."

* * *

Buffy had just descended the front stairs and was standing at the edge of the circular drive, awaiting a car. Before it had arrived, she noticed Kennedy running up the drive. Buffy began to walk towards the girl, meeting her a few yards from the front door.

"Buffy," Kennedy said, panting lightly. "We need to talk."

"Is something the matter? Is it Willow?"

"No! It's… Angel. He's here."

_Old news_.

Buffy took a small breath, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I know."

"You do?"

She shook her head, before noticing the limo that was approaching.

"Kennedy, I have to go… I need to make sure he's not up to something."

Buffy walked past Kennedy and towards the limo. The chauffeur had opened the door, and she was just about to get in, when Kennedy's hand was on her wrist. Buffy turned to face her, and Kennedy's face was a mix of anger and disbelief.

"_Up to something_? Buffy—the world is ending!"

"..._Oh"

* * *

_


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: yeah, random note: reading "Queen of the Slayers" & watching Angel will help you understand this better.

Also, PLEASE Review & let me know if there are major continuity errors, things that don't make sense, or other stuff that just seems _wrong._

Thanks, bye!  
-PJ

* * *

Cleveland.

Since the end of the world, the latest one, things had gotten considerably better. It hadn't been but days after the Sunnydale Hellmouth was closed, that the Cleveland one blew open. Literally. A backwave of demons, and even a few ubervamps who weren't killed in Sunnydale, came flooding out. Panic ensued, townspeople fled, but in the end Faith and her gang of Slayers took out the demons. By now, the giant whole in the middle of town had been filled in with a ridiculous amount of concrete and steel beams. Then it was repaved, as was the rest of the town. Soon everything was pretty much back to normal.

_Home, sweet Hellmouth_.

Faith opened the door to their new headquarters. It was an old, Victorian house that had been abandoned. They'd taken up residence here, after the resettlement of Cleveland led to the demolition of their old place. It was fine with Faith though, considering the structural damage the place had taken.

_And it didn't have a big screen TV._

By now, Faith had made her way into the considerably large living room. Plopping down on one of three overly stuffed, floral patterned couches, she clicked the power button on the remote. The TV buzzed to life, and Faith immediately began to click through the channels. The ringing of a phone is what finally interrupted her steady stream of channel surfing.

_Who is it at this time? Shouldn't people be off having sex or hell, even sleeping?_

Faith reached over and pulled the phone off of the cradle. She clicked the _'Talk'_ button and put the receiver to her ear.

"Talk," Faith said bluntly to the person on the other end.

"Good evening Faith," came Giles' voice.

_That explains it._

"What's up Giles? How's… Where are you?"

"Still in London, Faith."

"Right. How's it there?"

"To be quite honest, cold."

Faith laughed a little. Then she remembered that her and Giles didn't really have phone time. Something had to be up.

"So, Giles. What's the what?"

"Excuse me?"

"What's going on?"

"Ah… It's serious, Faith. A group of seers at the council… they've noticed something."

"I'm guessing it wasn't lotto numbers, eh?"

"Nothing of the sort, I'm afraid."

"Damn! Just when that jackpot was looking good."

"No, if only… But, actually Faith, it's something rather… large."

"Large?"

"Something has gathered in LA. An extremely powerful force of evil."

"How powerful?"

"Some of us at the council believe it to be an _Old One_."

"Old one? That's like… What is that?"

"One of the original demons."

"Guess I have some work to do, then. Does Buffy know?"

"I assume the Immortals own seers have picked up on this by now… Nevertheless, I'll be contacting her as soon as we're done."

"Ok. Well, send her my best. Tell her we've got this under control."

"Faith… Before you go, I just want you to know. Don't be afraid to ask for help. The last thing you need to do is go at this blindly. As unfathomable as it may seem, we've really no idea what we're dealing with."

"Ya know, Giles… There's something about the thought of a bunch of clueless Watchers that just doesn't surprise me."

"Very well. I'll let you know more as soon as we do. Have a good night, Faith."

"You too."

Faith hung up the phone. She looked around the room for a moment, before she stood up and headed into the kitchen. As she had expected, a group of girls were there, gossiping over a carton of ice cream.

_You can put the Slayer in the girl, but you can't take the girl out of the Slayer._

"Guys. Listen up," Faith said as she approached the group. Her face was serious, and the girls could tell. They immediately stopped laughing, and put their spoons down.

"Is there something wrong, Faith," asked a Slayer. She had black hair, with a yellow strip down the front. Faith knew her as Taylor.

"I'm not sure. Giles just called though, and he said there's something going on, some kind of power. I'm leading a team, we'll be gone two—three days tops. Who's up for it?"

"Where is it," asked another Slayer. _Anita?_

"LA."

"LA?"

The voice that reiterated her words didn't belong to any of the Slayers before Faith. In fact, it didn't even belong to a girl. Faith spun to see Robin standing behind her. She grinned.

"Yea, Giles wants us to check it out. But I'm gonna need you to stay here and keep tabs on things while I'm gone."

"Trust me when I say, I don't mind."

"What?"

"Faith, I never thought I'd say this, but you need to watch more televison. Come with me."

Robin turned out of the kitchen and started back in the direction of the living room. Without any further interaction with the Slayers, Faith followed him. She had rounded the corner and entered the other room, just as Robin was putting down the remote. Faith took to his side and watched the television.

"What the hell is that?" Faith wondered out loud, in response to the helicopter footage being shown on the nightly news.

"That, Faith. That's LA."

Faith couldn't help but let her mouth drop open a little bit. Before her, LA was a complete scene of chaos. The city was a monster, bloody viscera spilling out and consuming it all. Fires roared through buildings, the street was cracked, and lava, actual molten lava was bubbling between the sections of asphalt.

"Giles didn't say anything about… that."

"He's in a building full of books with a bunch of old, stuffy Englishmen. Something tells me he didn't get the memo."

"Right. Well, looks like I'll need a bigger team."

Faith started out of the living room again, but Robin was quick to stop her. He shook his head and looked at her, as he would a student who'd unknowingly just done something dumb.

"What?"

"Faith. You can't go to LA—Regardless of how many girls you take with you."

"Why not?"

"For starters, the city's going to hell. Literally."

"Nothing we can't handle, Robin. We saved the world, remember? We did this."

Faith motioned in the air and Robin new what she meant. She was referring to the Slayers, and the spell Willow had done to give them their powers.

"I know. But you have no idea what's out there."

"All I need to know is how to kill it."

"You don't even have _that._"

"Then we'll try things the old-fashioned way." Faith curled one hand into a fist, placing it in the palm of the other.

"Faith—"

"No!" Faith cut him off harshly. Her eyes were on fire. "This is something you'll never understand. For you, it's all about planning and recon, and always knowing what you're going to do five moves before it happens. But for a Slayer, it's all about acting on your feet. Making your move as it comes to mind. It's about living and fighting in the moment—"

"And dying in it."

Faith put her hands at her side. Her eyes traced Robins features, and came to rest on his eyes. They're gazes met, and in his eyes there was a sadness, as well as anger.

"You know that better than anyone… But I'm not her. You won't lose me."

"How do I know that?"

"You'll have to take my word for it."

Robin stared away from her. He stared down at the floor, eyes tracing the grain of the wood. Then he was looking at the coffee table, and the reflection the glass top made. Then the edge of the sofa, and the strings that had been pulled lose, probably by a cat. He didn't look back at Faith until she had reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Robin. Don't worry about me. This is what I do. It's who I am"

"That's what worries me."

* * *

The Immortal was sitting a wrought iron table at the center of a massive solarium. Above him, numerous balconies and catwalks filled the air, surrounded by walls of glass. As he sat here, amongst various greenery and the song of hidden mockingbirds, he drank from a cup of steaming tea. Laid out on the table was a leather bound journal, which he was scribbling notes in. He stopped when he felt Buffy enter the room, behind him.

"Back so soon," he said, turning to face her. Behind him, the notebook rippled mystically and then disappeared.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me," Buffy said quickly. She was pissed and the last thing she wanted was to be polite. When she was a few feet from the Immortal, she stopped and crossed her arms. He merely smiled at her and stood up. His hands were out, as if to embrace her. "Stop right there. I want an answer."

The Immortal put his hands down and said, "I didn't want you to get hurt."

"I can handle myself. It's my job."

"No, you don't understand. I didn't want you to know what he'd done. I was hoping it could be dealt with, without you knowing."

"I'm missing something here, aren't I?"

"Buffy, don't you see? Angel and his team appear here, only moments after some sort of hellish creature is unleashed in the very city he used to inhabit. It's obvious that he's behind this."

"What? No… Angel wouldn't do that."

"Perhaps then, we are not dealing with Angel."

"…Angelus? No."

"You could be right. Maybe it is indeed Angel. And if so, then your fears are confirmed. He's changed, he's become corrupted by the evil that he's allied himself with."

Buffy couldn't stand the thought of it. But at the same time, it would make perfect sense. Angel was working for some very powerful evil. She took a seat at the table, and put her head in her hands.

_But he's still Angel. _She told herself. _He wouldn't – couldn't do this._

But even so, Buffy felt as though it might be possible. A small part of her believed that it could be Angel. It made her head hurt, as thoughts rushed about her brain.

_He's tried it before. What makes this different?_

Buffy knew the thought wasn't hers. She knew that it couldn't be. But yet, it felt familiar. It belonged. It was right.

_He's evil._

"I can't believe…" Buffy brought her head up, shaking it in disbelief. _He did it._ Her mind told her. And she believed it. "Why didn't I see this?"

"You can not blame yourself." The Immortal said as he sat opposite Buffy. He put a hand over hers.

"I should've known, though."

"He was your friend. Your lover. He was so much to you, Buffy. You can't be expected to loose all faith in him overnight."

_I didn't._

_Yes. You did._

_I did? …I did._

Buffy's head hurt again. She rubbed her temple with her free hand, allowing her other one to stay beneath the Immortals. His touch was warm, and she welcomed it. A hummingbird was singing nearby.

"I'll have to fight it off. The demons."

"Don't you worry about that. I'll make sure the demons are taken care of… I think the only thing you should be worrying about is Angel."

"Angel?"

"Buffy. He has to be stopped…"

* * *

_Talk about your spidey senses tingling._

The second Willow had stepped through the doors of Wolfram and Hart, she could feel the magick around her. It was more powerful than almost anything she'd come in contact with. Most of it was defensive too, the kinds of things that would prevent other, outside magicks from affecting the buldings inhabitants.

_Well isn't that nifty. All of their clients are safe from any curse, hex or enchantment sent their way. Not to mention they can do your taxes…_

As Willow grew nearer to the elevators, the doors opened up. Slightly amazed, Willow stepped into the elevator, the doors shutting behind her. She turned, but before she had the chance to press any sort of button, the elevator doors had opened again.

_Ok. This is a little too weird_.

Willow stepped out onto the hardwood floors of an enormous lobby. Across the room, stairs led to a second floor, and to her right sat a reception desk. After taking a second to take in the lobby, Willow headed over to the reception desk. The women sitting there put her headset down and smiled at Willow.

"Hi," Willow said with a little wave. "I'm looking for Angel?"

"Right behind you," the receptionist told her.

Willow looked up at a mirror behind the reception desk. No one was in it.

_Vampire._

She turned around quickly, and nearly fell backwards, as Angel was really _right behind her_. He stood but two feet away.

"Angel. I got your message."

"I figured," he said with a smirk. They stood there and looked at each other for a second. Finally, Angel put his arms out. "Hug?"

Willow smiled and stepped forward, returning the gesture. When they separated, she inhaled deeply, then titled her head.

"How've you been?"

"You know, the usual…"

"Saving the world?"

"Gotta stay in shape."

Willow smiled at his joke. Angel gave a grin of his own, before he remembered that there were more pressing matters at hand.

_Plenty of time to mingle _after_ we stop the Apocalypse_, he thought to himself.

"Willow, everyone's in the main office, so…"

"Let's go."

Angel led the way over to the doors of the office. He slid them open, leading the way for Willow to follow. Inside, Gunn sat across from Ilona, who was at her desk.

"Willow's here," Angel announced to the room.

"Ah, Miss Rosenberg!" Ilona was on her feet and quickly closing in on Willow. She gave Willow a kiss on each cheek, before taking a step back. "What a pleasure."

"Hi." Willow said, forcing a smile over her discomfort. "Um. You are?"

"Oh, forgive me… I'm Ilona Costa Bianchi, CEO of the Rome branch of Wolfram and Hart."

"Ah… Well, hi. You can just call me Willow."

"Certainly."

"Ok," Angel interrupted. "Willow, there's a lot I need to tell—"

"You know, Willow," Ilona cut Angel off quickly. "I here you are quite the witch."

"Well… I dabble," Willow said, trying to avoid being the center of attention.

"Dabble? I here you once tried to end the world."

Willow looked away from Ilona, as the painful memory of Tara's death came into her mind. That same day, she'd lost all control and hurt—almost killed everyone who loved her. And, yes, she had also attempted to end the world. Her eyes were moist.

Angel could sense Willow's unease.

"Willow," Angel said, touching her arm. She turned to face him. "There's something I need to tell you… It's about Fred—"

"Speaking of Fred," Willow interrupted him, nothing Illyria for the first time. Illyria was making her way closer to them, staring at Willow inquisitively. Willow walked up to her.

"Hey... You're, um, _bluer_ then when we last met."

"I do not know you," Illyria informed her.

"What?"

"Willow…" Angel called behind her. Willow looked to him. "Fred… there was an…" Angel trailed off, unable to say it.

"Not Fred, huh?" Willow said solemnly.

"No."

Willow faced Illyria again. "Sorry…"

"Don't be," Ilyria said coldly. Willow could feel her eyes growing more moist.

Then came a voice, "Hello, Red."

Willow turned to see Spike standing in the doorway. He pulled a cigarette away from his lips, blowing out a puff of smoke. His leather duster flapped around him.

Willow let loose a tear. "Spike?"

"The one and only." Spike tossed his cigarette absentmindedly onto the floor and walked up to Willow. He stopped a foot away from her, looking her straight in the eye. "Surprised to see me?"

"I… I knew… But. Are you…"

"Alive? In a sense."

"So.. you're not…"

"Human? Well… _technically_." Spike shrugged. "Let's just say I like to refer to myself as being allergic to the sun."

Willow wiped her tear from her cheek. She smiled at Spike.

"I'm happy for you," Willow told him, patting his arm. Spike grinned.

"Yea. It's ok…"

"Well." Willow took in a deep breath, and let out a sort of chuckle. She turned towards Angel, who stood there, arms crossed. "Any other surprises for me?"

"There is one more thing," Angel said, his gaze dropping.

For the first time, Willow looked around the room and noticed that Wesley was nowhere to be found.

_Oh, god._

She cried.


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Hey. Sorry this took so long. Anyway. It's short, i know... but i'm still adding, so another chapter will be up sooner than this one took. & it should be worth the wait, cause this one isn't. sorry.

* * *

Xander couldn't say he minded his job. As a part of working for the council, he seemed to be spending a good deal of his time traveling. Every other week, he was off to some foreign destination, with the task of bringing back one, or several new Slayers.

_Traveling the world with beautiful girls. What more can one ask for?_

Well, there was more. There was the love of his life, for starters. His wonderful Anya, who, like many others, had died that fateful day one year ago.

_Anya_.

The thought of her name brought a tear to his eye. He wiped it away quickly. Then he adjusted the collar of his shirt and looked ahead of him. A set of large, wooden doors met his gaze. He pushed them forward and stepped into the meeting room beyond them.

"Xander. I'm glad you're here," came Giles' voice from the end of the long conference table. Beside Giles, sat another man, Sir Nigel, Xander knew him as. He was the head of the newly formed Council.

"Giles. Nigel. What can I do for you fine gentlemen," Xander said with an overly bright smile. He sat down next to Giles, who was going through various papers and books. Xander noticed for the first time that similar books were spread out to almost the midpoint of the table.

"It has come to our attention that a great mystical force is converging… Some malevolent being, in Los Angeles."

"LA?" Xander questioned, straightening his posture.

"Now, now." Giles said, reading his expression. "There's no reason to believe Angel is involved—"

"Not that we've ruled that out," Sir Nigel interjected. "We're keeping _all _possibilities open."

"I see." Xander said, tapping his fingers together in an expression of deep thought. The truth was, he was considering what he should have for lunch. After a few moments, he let his mind wander back to the topic at hand. "What do you think it is?"

"We've really no idea," Sir Nigel said with a sigh. He let his hands rest on the edge of the table.

Besides Xander, Giles spoke, "Well, there are some of us with theories on the matter."

"Nonsense!" Sir Nigel waved a hand at Giles. With an annoyed look, Giles removed his glasses and cleaned them. "Just another one of your wild goose chases, Rupert, which I will not have."

"Yes, right."

"Now. If you excuse me, I have to make a pot of tea."

With that, Sir Nigel rose and started across the room. He had barely turned into the hallway when Xander turned to face Giles.

"Tea? He had to make tea?"

"Don't question it," Giles said as he put his glasses back in place.

"Fine. Like they say, 'Never get in the way of a British man and his tea' … or was it crumpets?"

"Whatever the case may be, we haven't the time to discuss it."

Giles closed the book in front of him, and for the first time Xander saw the title: _Trickery & Distractions._ He smirked.

_Ripper, old boy. Nice job_.

"So, why the distraction?" Xander inquired.

"The theory I was mentioning. It's more than that. I'm almost positive it's the answer to whatever it is that is happening in LA."

"What's that?"

Xander prepared himself.

"If I'm correct, I fear it is… The Old Ones."

Xander shook his head, taking it in.

"Uh huh. _Well_… That sounds… creepy? Yea, definitely creepy… And, um—"

"You don't understand. They are the original. The First—"

"Woah, what about the First?"

"The First created evil some millennia ago… This was the evil it created."

"The first the First made? Like… Ok. If they were in line, the _Old Ones_, they'd be what? Second?"

"Assuming I'm following your logic, yes. They're the oldest demons to exist. Banished from the plane some time ago, and now, through some incredible act of magic, they've returned."

"How do you know? I mean, are you positive? Have you asked the seers about it?"

"Of course we've asked the seers."

"And?"

"And? Do you know what it's like to watch someone rip their eyes out?"

The sentence had left his mouth before he could stop it, and afterwards, left him with nothing but stunned silence. Giles lowered his head, bringing it back nearly a full minute later. His face was solemn.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that…"

"It's alright. I'd rather you forget than be too cautious."

"I only meant it as…"

"Giles. It's fine… Just finish your story."

"Yes. Right. Like I was saying… Only a vision, so powerful—of pure evil, could evoke such a response."

"That's why makes you suspect these guys, right? The _dead ones?_"

"_Old Ones._ And yes."

"Alright… so what do we do?"

"Well, as you've seen, the council is less than ready to even entertain the idea. And if I'm right, this will take us before they even realize it. That's why I'm going to send you to Cleveland with the Slayers. Faith's already been notified. She'll need the back up."

"How are you going to get us out without the council knowing?"

"You leave that to me."

"Ok. Just let me know who to take." Xander replied, as he stood up. Giles did as well.

"All of them."

Xander almost found himself sitting again.

"All of them? As in, every single one?"

"You'll need to."

"How'll I get them out?"

"I'll tell Buffy, and I'm sure the Immortal will have some way of transporting them there. You just get the girls ready, have them pack bags, weapons, anything they'll need."

"Xan-Man to the rescue!" Xander saluted Giles, before spinning on his heels and heading out of the room.

Once he had left, Giles turned to the dozens of books. He'd gone over all of them, some twice, and still he had no idea how to face what was ahead of them. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Behind him, another door into the room opened.

"Oh, Christina." Giles said as the young, blonde-haired woman came into the room. "I was about to come see you."

"Hello Mr. Giles," Christina said with a bright smile. "There's a telephone call for you." Christina held out a cordless phone, her hand over the receiver.

"Thank you," Giles said, taking the phone from her. Christina smiled, and headed out through the door she'd just entered from. When she was gone, Giles brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Rupert! It's Andrew. Hi."

"Oh, hello Andrew. What can I do for you?"

"It's important. Something evil's in Angel and LA's come to Italy."

"What?"

"Wait. No. There's something evil in... Oh! There's something evil in LA. And _Angel_ is here.

"Angel? In Italy?"

"Yea… He got here a little while ago, I think. Whatever's in LA's pretty big and he got here in a hurry."

"I see… Andrew, where are you?"

"I'm at home. Alone. Kennedy went to talk to Buffy and Willow's at Wolfram and Hart."

"She's where?"

"Yea. She went to see Angel. I think she trusts him."

"Andrew, why didn't you try to stop her?"

"Are you kidding? Willow's like Mega-Wicca."

"Alright… Where are you now?"

"I'm just here, at home. By myself… nobody but me." Andrew let out a sigh, and Giles rolled his eyes on the other end of the phone.

"Andrew, I want you to stay there. But let me know the second you hear anything."

"Alright, Mr. Giles. T. T. F. N.!"

"Umm… yes. Good bye, Andrew."

Giles clicked the line dead, placing the headset down on the table. With a breath, he pulled another book towards him. He ran his fingers over the bumpy, engraved cover. Then he flipped it open to the first page and began reading.

* * *

Buffy left the solarium, her head still buzzing. Kennedy was waiting for her, arms crossed, leaning against one of the hallways paneled walls. 

"Buffy." Kennedy said, when the other Slayer nearly walked right past her. Buffy turned quickly. "Are you ok?"

"What? No. I'm fine." Buffy gave a small smile. Her head still felt like it was being ripped in two, the thoughts of what she wanted to do and would do, each occupying a half. "Just a little headache."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"What? Where?"

_Angel,_ her mind repeated.

"Buffy, are you sure you're—"

"Yes." Buffy cut her off quickly. "I'm fine. We have to go."

Pushing her blonde hair away from her face, Buffy set off down the corridor. Kennedy stared at her for a moment, before following behind the elder Slayer. Moments later, they'd made their way outside and were nearly running down the sunbathed drive. At this rate, they'd be at Wolfram and Hart in no more then ten minutes.

* * *

"Where are we going, Mr. Xander," asked Annette, an English girl of about fifteen. She held a pink and yellow knapsack close against her chest. Her big green eyes peered up at Xander. 

"Just a little trip," Xander said with a smile. Then he stepped around her and made his way to the center of the dormitory.

At either of his sides, twin beds had been set up along opposite walls, and ran the length of the room. In all, there were about a hundred beds, and about a hundred girls. Another thirty, maybe fourty, occupied the loft area over the right wall. In his mind, Xander couldn't help but think that it resembled an old prison, or juvenile detention center.

_Or Annie's orphanage,_ he told himself. With a pained look, he began to speak, immediately gaining the rooms attention.

"Alright everyone, listen up. Take only what you'll need, I'm talking a change of clothes and weapons. Nothing that isn't absolutely necessary."

"What about a hair dryer," he heard someone say. And judging by the silence afterwards, he knew they hadn't been kidding around.

"Unless it has a flamethrower function, no. Leave it."

There was a wave of sighs, and Xander could hear several backpacks being zippered open. He shook his head, and walked towards the door to the dormitory. It was slightly ajar, enough so that Xander could take a look out, onto the landing. Everything seemed okay, there were no guards or Sir Nigel running up the stairs, which was a good sign. With a breath of satisfaction, he shut the door the rest of the way. He turned to face the girls.

"Alright, guys. Just get your stuff together, and once your done sit and wait quietly… We'll be out of her shortly."

Hands in pockets, he grinned at himself. He'd become so professional, and it was while doing such an impractical job.

_Man, Giles. What are you planning?_

* * *

Willow took a sip from her glass of ice cold water. Once she was done, she held it close to her face, exhaling deeply so that she could watch the white swirls rise from within the cup. After they'd danced through the air for a few seconds, she placed the cup down on Ilona's desk. 

"So," Willow said slowly. It was the first word she'd muttered in at least ten minutes. "What exaclty happened in LA?"

Spike scoffed. "What didn't?" He took a drag of a recently lit cigarette and walked in her direction. He sat on Ilona's desk, so that he was across from Willow. "Basic fact of the matter, is that yours truly," he motioned to the room at large, meaning to indicate Wolfram and Hart. "…has unleashed all matter of hell on us."

"It's a little more complicated than that," Angel said, taking the step forwards. "You see, what had happened is the Senior Partners. We, kind of, _killed_ their inner circle. And as a reward, they—"

"Unleashed hell on earth?" Spike offered to finish the statement.

"Well… It's _still _a bit more complicated than that."

"Not really," Gunn said from an arm chair in the corner.

"So, the Senior Parnters did this," Willow thought aloud. Then she looked up at Angel, her eyes full of sorrow. Sorrow about what she had to ask next. "…And that means, that… That you really didn't have anything to do with this, right?"

Spike was about to make a smart remark, when the realization of what Willow had said, hit him. It sounded as if she actually thought Angel might've been the one behind this.

"Willow." Angel tried to find some sort of response. "Did you think…"

Willow shook her head.

"I'm sorry… But, it's just that. With everything… and you, working _here_."

"No, it's… I understand."

Angels head hung low, as he slid his hands into his pockets. He couldn't believe it'd come to this. The world was about to end, or possibly something worse. And people he'd known for years, who he'd worked with and fought beside… They thought he was the one to blame.

_You're in the belly of the beast,_ he told himself. _Can't expect them all to see inside._


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Ok, first of all - LATE. I KNOW. sorry.

Second, i know it's SHORT, but there is more story after this, i just haven't finished the scene and i really wanted to get an update out here. So, read, enjoy - hopefully, review.

The next update is in the works. )

* * *

"The bar's about to close," said the bartender, a man in his early forties. He slid the cup of ice cold liquor across the counter.

A green hand, wrist surrounded by the sleeve of a yellow suit, reached out for it. He brought it close, before lifting it to his red lips and taking a sip. He put it back down, turning his attention to the book laid out before him.

"That's ok. I've made my choice."

He slid the book towards the bartender, pointing at a selection. The barkeeper shook his head, and pulled a microphone out from under the counter.

"And now, ladies and gentleman, the last act of the night. The Carlstadt Bar and Casino just off the Sunset Strip gives you… Lorne!"

Lorne ascended the few stairs to the stage, receiving applause from the handful of customers still left inside. Slowly the intro to the song began to drain out of the speakers.

"Hello ladies and gents," Lorne said into the microphone perched high atop a stand. "Dreary night we're having. World's falling apart, and now... the bar's about to close. So with keeping that in my mind, I extend an invitation to you all. I invite to _come away with me._"

"_Come away with me in the night._

_Come away with me… and I will write you a song."_

The bar gave a small shake. A couple in front of the stage stood up and hurried towards the exit.

"_Come away with me, on a bus._

_Come away where they can't tempt us…"_

Another tremor and a glass behind the bar shattered.

"_With their lies._

_And I wanna walk with you, on a cloudy day._

_In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high_

_So won't you try to come."_

In the lobby there was a scream. Several heads turned to look, while a few remained emotionless, drowning their sorrows behind another shot.

"_Come away with me and we'll kiss,_

_On a mountain top."_

Several lights in the room went out, leaving only the eerie red glow of the stage lamps alive. Lorne gave a sad smile.

"_Come away with me,_

_And I'll never stop loving you."_

Outside some sort of beastly roar echoed through the streets. Several car alarms went off in response.

"_I wanna wake up with the rain_

_Falling on a tin roof._

_While I'm safe there in your arms."_

The building gave another, more violent tremble. Dust trickled down from the ceiling. Glasses tumbled over, spilling their contents.

"_So all I ask is for you,_

_To come away with me in the night."_

Outside more roaring was heard, followed by several screams and crashes. In the lobby, something was sparking. The chandelier rattled, before crashing down some three stories and exploding in a mess of glass and metal.

"_Come away with me…"_

The speakers screeched before going dead. Lorne looked out at the crowd.

"Goodnight folks."

The bar went dark.

* * *

"So what happens next? I mean, how do we fight this," Willow asked, bringing her gaze from the floor to meet Angel's.

"Well last time we were dealing with something this big," Angel looked at Willow, and she knew what he meant.

"We blew up a school?"

"Pretty much."

"So… ok. We blow them up. There. Problem solved?"

"Yea, only we'd need a nuke with a radius about seven times larger than Hiroshima," Gunn interjected. "And even then, we _still_ might not get them all."

"You coulda just said no." Willow gave a small frown.

"Sorry."

"It's ok."

"Alright, guys," Angel said, commanding their attention. "While I'm usually the first to resort to banter in times of crisis, now really isn't the time."

The room was quiet for a second, before Willow began to speak.

"Is there anything magical we can do?""

"You'd be the expert on that," Angel informed her. "Anything you need, Wolfram and Hart will be sure to get you."

"I guess that should be comforting." Willow said with a small smile, before turning to Ilona. The CEO sat up attentively, before Willow had even spoken. "Hi.. Um, I need a favor."

"Anything I can help you with, Ms. Rosenberg."

"I need your occult department to start looking things up. Umm… _The Codex of Agatha_, and _Dante's Dreamscape_. Also, I need a full search on large scale teleportation."

"Certainly," Ilona said with a beaming smile, before heading out of the room.

"_Dante's Dreamscape_," Angel repeated with a confused look.

"Oh, it's… obscure. Or nonexistent." Willow gave a little shrug. "I mostly just wanted her out of the room."

"I see… What are you thinking of doing?"

"The only thing that comes to mind would be to transport them. Send them back to their dimension, or any one that's not ours."

"You think you can do that?"

"Not alone… Definitely not alone. But with the help of Wolfram and Hart, it should be manageable."

"It's a big group, Willow. I mean, I may not know a lot about teleportation, but I know it needs to be focused. Do you think it's possible to channel so many demons, especially on that scale?"

Willow gave no answer, just a frown and small shrug. Angel shook his head.

"Well team, I gotta get going," Gunn said, interrupting the silence. Angel looked at him. "Gotta get working on our secret weapon."

"Secret weapon," Angel wondered aloud.

"You'll see." And with that, Gunn left the room.

"Well this is fun," Spike spoke, flicking his burnt out cigarette butt onto the floor. "But I think I'm gonna go see what law-boy is up to."

Spike followed Gunn out of the room. Now it was just Willow and Angel; Illyria had left earlier.

"This is all pretty crazy, huh?" Willow said with a small laugh.

"You should've seen it, Willow." Angel said, as he made his way towards her. He sat in one of the big, overstuffed chairs opposite Willow's. "I've been alive for a long time, and I've never seen..."

Willow leaned forward in her chair. She put a hand on Angel's arm, trying to comfort him. But she knew that he could sense her own unease.

"It's ok," Angel said looking at Willow.

"I know… I just wish there was something I could say."

Angel gave a small grin, before his face grew very serious. His eyes narrowed, as he turned his gaze from Willow towards the door.

"Buffy?"

"Say Buffy? What?"

"Hello Angelus," came Buffy's voice from the door.

Willow and Angel both stood, Willow turning to face Buffy.

"Buffy, what're you doing here," Willow asked, walking up to Buffy.

"He should know," Buffy said, her eyes set on Angel.

"Did you talk to Kennedy?"

"She's in the lobby."

"Oh." Willow could tell Buffy was angry. She looked from her to Angel, giving a small wave. Then she disappeared into the lobby to find Kennedy.

"Buffy… You look good," Angel said, trying his best to be casual.

"Why are you here?"

"Well I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say you already know."

"What? Done raising hell in LA, so you thought you'd stopped by to say 'hey'?"

"Buffy. You know I'm not responsible for this—"

"The hell you aren't!"

"So then why are you here! If I did this, why are you here arguing with me, instead of there, being a Slayer."

Buffy stormed across the room, stopping inches from Angel. She looked him in the eyes, her face filled with anger. For a moment they were silent, before Buffy's elbow came up and met Angel in the chin. He stumbled backwards a few feet.

"Nice to see you too," Angel said, rubbing his chin. Buffy shook her head.

"I don't know you. I don't know what you're about, Angel."

"You know I didn't do this."

Buffy crossed her arms, her eyes were moist.

_Don't cry_, she demanded of herself. _It makes this harder._

"Angel. I…" Buffy couldn't finish her sentence. Once again, she found herself overwhelmed by her own thoughts.

_You know what to do. He must be stopped._

"Buffy. Lets just sit down and talk. There's a lot you need to know."

"I don't really feel like sitting."

"Alright. Fair enough. But if I come any closer are you gonna hit me again?"

_Yes._

Buffy laughed, and put up a hand. "No hitting. Scouts honor."

Angel gave a smile and walked over to Buffy. He gave her a hug, which lasted a few seconds. Finally, he pulled away.

"It really is good seeing you.

_Kill him._

"You too."

From the conference room door, Jaye stepped in. She looked from Angel to Buffy and back.

"Am I interrupting something," Jaye asked from the doorway.

"Oh, no. Not at all," Angel said. "This is Buffy."

"Oh. Wow. What a pleasure to meet you," Jaye said with a warm smile.

Buffy simply shook her head and gave a small smile. Angel turned his full attention to Jaye.

"What can I help you with Jaye?"

"Oh, I just wanted to—Angel!"

It took only half a second. Jaye was about to tell Angel how things were going overseas, and he listening intently. But then, he wasn't. Instead, he had one arm up, blocking a stake, as he brought his other up, punching Buffy. The Slayer stumbled away from him, dropping her weapon.

"What the hell was that," Angel yelled at Buffy. She didn't respond. Her head was buzzing with sound.

_Did he always hit that hard_, Buffy asked herself. The punch had sent her mind racing. It felt like her thoughts were split in two.

_Kill him. He did it._

_No. He didn't._

_Kill him!_

She could feel it. Thoughts, not her own, were flooding into her mind. She couldn't separate them any longer. And the intruding thoughts began to take control. She lunged at Angel.

Angel grabbed Buffy's wrist, twisting her arms behind her. She struggled against his grip, trying desperately to free herself. Finally she gave up, falling into Angel's grasp.

She passed out.


End file.
